by Lynn Hagen
He grinned. Dorian may complain, but he knew as well as the human that the sex last night was out of this world.
Rick just wished he could have stopped himself from biting Dorian. It was bad enough the man had one wound. Now he had Rick’s bite to heal. But secretly, he didn’t regret it. That was the first time he had ever lost control that badly.
And damn if he didn’t want to go in there and do it all over again. But Dorian was sore as hell, and Rick wasn’t going to put the man in any more pain.
He stilled when he spotted a black truck across the street at the gas station. It was the same kind of SUV that the Death Squad had chased him and Dorian with.
Rick soundlessly closed the hatch, backing up until he was in the motel room. He closed the door. “Dorian, we have to go.”
“My ass is still sore. Besides, we still have an hour before checkout,” Dorian complained from the bathroom.
Rick rushed into the bathroom, grabbing the towel from the rack over the toilet. “The Death Squad is across the street.”
Dorian paled as Rick helped him out of the tub. He carefully set Dorian on his feet and handed him the towel. “I’m sorry to cut your soaking short, gatito, but we need to go.”
They both grew quiet when there was a knock on the door. Had the squad found them that quickly? Had they spotted Rick loading the truck and come across the street?
“Alpha Enrique, open up.”
Rick cocked his head. The voice didn’t match the militant men. It was older, more frail. He pressed his fingers to his lips, Dorian nodding. Rick grabbed Dorian’s clothes and tossed them at him. The man dressed as quickly as he could and then slipped his shoes on and tied them just as Rick peeked out of the window.
It was the old man from the rest stop.
What in the hell was going on?
“You must hurry and let me in before they see me.”
Rick prayed he was making the right decision. He wasn’t sure how the old man found him or if he could trust the guy. He had borrowed the human’s phone, that was all.
He cracked the door open.
“They are across the street. Someone tipped them off. Hurry, open the door.”
Rick opened it wider. “If you are setting me up, I will kill you.” He felt like shit for threatening such an old man, but in this war, anyone could be the enemy. The man hurried inside, Rick closing and locking the door behind him.
“Read this.” The human handed him a newspaper. Rick unfolded it and read the headline.
A Massacre of Epic Portions. He continued to read on, disbelieving what his eyes were seeing. Ten humans were found dead, evidence of changeling involvement. More than half the victims’ throats were torn out, and gash marks resembling animal bites riddled their bodies. The FBI was called in to take over the case. Doctors confirmed that the dead were killed by some species of changeling, but were unsure of what breed.
An instant flash of werehyenas ran through Rick’s mind. Was that their part in this? Were they the ones killing, making it look like the changelings were out of control?
“Check the back page.”
Rick flipped to the back page and scanned through the ads. He spotted one that stood out.
“From now on, you are to check the paper daily. You’ll be left with instructions on where to go and who will contact you.”
Rick glanced up at the withered face in front of him. “Why are you helping us?”
The man’s pale blue eyes softened as a frail hand, decorated in brown spots, came up to rest on Rick’s shoulder. “Because not every human agrees with what the government is doing. We see the lies and deceptions they are spreading to justify killing your kind. Just because you are different, it doesn’t mean you are savages.”
Rick’s opinion of humans began to shift like a great ice shelf as he stared into intelligent blue eyes.
“This is only the beginning. Soon the hunt will no longer be in the shadows. Changelings and vampires will be killed out in the open. I’m told you are leading the rebellion?”
Rebellion? He had never thought of it as a rebellion. Rick numbly nodded.
The man smiled. “Then you have help. We won’t let you fight this alone.”
“Who is ‘we’?” Dorian finally spoke.
The man turned. “Humans, of course. But we have changelings all around that are ready to fight as well.” He turned back toward Rick, the old man’s gaze hardening. “But not all humans are to be trusted, and not all changelings are willing to fight. The vampires have declared themselves neutral in this mess.”
Rick was stunned. “How in the hell can they be neutral when they are on the extermination list as well?” They had to be on the list. Humans feared vampires more than they feared changelings.
The old man shrugged. “I don’t pretend to understand their stance. They live in the shadows, lurking, not to be trusted.”
Rick fully agreed. After his talk with Kraven, he knew the master was not going to help. If anything, Kraven was more likely to kill the changelings than stand at their sides. The man was wicked evil, and didn’t try to hide it. Rick wasn’t sure why he had gone to Kraven for help, but was glad he did. They had gotten Ian out of there.
“Be careful of who you let in your life,” the old man warned. “Not all are what they appear to be.”
Riddles, great.
Rick glanced down at the ad.
Wanted. Strong handyman to fix broken pipes in roof.
Call 555-7912
That was one strange-ass ad.
“Every town you venture into will have the same ad but a different number to contact. We think you should be safe. There are stranger ads in the paper, so ours shouldn’t draw too much attention. Use the code word ‘Bert,’ and the person on the other end should reply, ‘Ernie.’ If he does, then you are safe to talk.”
Rick chuckled. “Sesame Street?”
The man shrugged, but chuckled at the same time. “We put this together at the last minute.”
“Much appreciated,” Rick said. “But I think we need to get out of here before the Death Squad finds us.”
The old man’s thick, bushy brows arched. “Death Squad? Is that what the government is calling them?”
Rick nodded.
“Be very careful, Enrique.”
Rick nodded and headed for the door, Dorian following close behind him. He checked outside, and then hurried to the truck. The black SUV was still across the street, and it worried Rick that he didn’t see anyone by the truck.
He started the motor. Fuck signing out and returning the key. The keycard was on the table. Let housekeeping find it. There was no time to check out. He pulled the disposable phone from the middle console and dialed the number in the ad.
“Gregg’s Jelly Farm.”
“Bert,” Rick said.
There was a moment of complete silence, and then the woman replied, “Ernie.”
Rick wasn’t sure if he was relieved or not. At least this ad thing was working so far. “I’m not sure what to do now,” Rick confessed.
“Do you have GPS?”
“Yes.”
“Then punch in this address.” The woman rattled off an address as Rick punched it into the navigation system.
“There will be fresh food and clean beds for you and your companion to indulge in. Once you are rested, there will be a few people showing up to discuss business with you.” The woman hung up before Rick could thank her. He told Dorian what “Ernie” had said.
“So, we really are heading up a rebellion?” Dorian asked. “Somehow the movies make it seem more glamorous than running from one place to the next.”
Rick agreed. “But we will be contacting supporters along the way. What I want to do is find someone who can infiltrate the inner workings of the government and find out who is behind all of this.”
“The president,” Dorian stated calmly. “It’s always the president. We have to find a way to show that all of this is a ruse. The public needs to know that th
ey are being fed bullshit.”
That gave Rick an idea. “We need to find a way to get onto television. I want to find someone who knows how to jam the frequency so not only can the connection not be severed, but will hide our location.”
“Know anyone?” Dorian asked.
Rick sighed in frustration. “No.”
“Then I say we use this new pipeline to find someone. If these sympathizers are for real, then maybe we can find what we are looking for.”
Rick reached over and grabbed Dorian’s hand, intertwining their fingers together and giving it a light squeeze. “Thank you for staying.”
A deep blush stole across Dorian’s face. “You need all the help you can get.”
Wasn’t the man adorable when he was bashful?
Rick had seconds to pull Dorian toward him when the passenger window exploded. He yanked the truck into drive and then pressed his foot all the way to the floor. The truck made a loud screeching noise and then lurched forward.
Before Rick could pull from the motel parking lot, a man jumped onto the SUV, trying to crawl into Dorian’s window. Rick jerked the wheel, but the guy didn’t fall away as he had hoped. He was clawing at Dorian, and then he got an arm around Dorian’s neck, holding him in a full nelson as he tried to squeeze the life out of him.
Rick slammed the brakes, but the man held on, Dorian nearly going out of the window. He saw Dorian reaching for the glove box. Rick drove recklessly down the road as he reached over and popped the glove box opened.
Dorian grabbed the gun from Rick’s hand, shoved it into the man’s face, and fired. The guy’s hold loosened, and then he slipped away.
Rick’s heart was hurting from beating so fast. “Are you okay?” he shouted as he careened around a corner, keeping his hand on the wheel and his foot on the gas. He should have left the motel first before making the call. His decision damn near got Dorian killed.
“I’m fine,” Dorian answered as he dropped the gun to the floor and grabbed his shoulder. “But I think he ripped the stitches out.”
Rick blew out a long breath, set his jaw, and drove toward the place he was supposed to be going, following the GPS built into the dashboard.
“Fuck!” Dorian shouted as he leaned forward. “Fucking shit. My shoulder!”
Rick was tempted to pull over, but he couldn’t risk stopping.
“Take a pain pill,” Rick said as he spun the wheel, turning down another road. “I’ll keep you safe, promise.”
Dorian slumped back in his seat, his eyes closed. “I don’t want to become a burden. Once we get there and you tell me everything checks out, I’ll take one.”
Fucking steel spine.
And it hadn’t gone unnoticed that Dorian just told him that he trusted Rick with his very life.
“We have ten more minutes.” Rick slowed. He wanted to get away, but he didn’t want to attract unwanted attention. His eyes flew to the rearview mirror when he saw a truck closing in on them. It wasn’t the same truck the Death Squad was driving.
It followed him for about a mile, steady on his ass. He wasn’t sure who it was, but they weren’t being aggressive. It was almost as if they were giving him safe passage.
“Who are they?” Dorian asked as he glanced in the side mirror.
“I’m not sure.” He glimpsed over at Dorian to see his hand shaking. The man was in shock from shooting that guy. Rick knew the signs. Dorian may have shot that vampire back at the club, but Calico hadn’t died.
Dorian’s innocence was gone. He had killed a human being. Rick mourned the man’s loss, but knew it wouldn’t be the last time Dorian would have to defend himself. More than ever, Rick needed to show Dorian how to handle a gun.
He shot the guy, but that was at close range. He needed to learn distance.
The truck shot ahead of them, in the lead now. It turned down the same road Rick needed to take. This had to be help. They wouldn’t know the way if it weren’t.
Rick finally pulled into the drive, a man standing next to the truck that had followed him, waving Rick toward a large barn. He pulled inside. The doors immediately closed behind them.
“I’m scared,” Dorian whispered in the dark interior of the barn.
Rick pulled him close, cupping the side of his face. “I am, too, gatito. But I promise you that I will protect you with my life.” Rick sealed the promise with a kiss. “We’ve come too far for this to end so soon.”
Dorian grabbed Rick around the neck, holding on tight. “In this together.”
“Until the very end,” Rick whispered his reply.
Chapter Nineteen
“Name’s Ross.” The man shook Rick’s and then Dorian’s hand. “Now get inside.”
Dorian followed behind Rick, walking into a large open kitchen. The place was nice, for a safe house. “Who lives here?”
Ross closed the back door and locked it. “My cousin Emma. She and her husband are away on vacation. If you men want to freshen up, I’ll scrounge up something to eat.”
“Did you see the Death Squad following us?” Rick asked.
Ross nodded. “And Roscoe took care of them. He and Lane created a diversion while you got away.”
“Thanks,” Dorian said as Rick grabbed his hand and led him upstairs. They walked into one of the bedrooms, seeing a plain bed and one dresser. This had to be a guest room. Rick dropped the two duffle bags onto the bed.
“Let me see your shoulder.”
Dorian obediently sat down. His shoulder was killing him, but he wanted to know if the stitches needed replacing. He sure as shit hoped not. Rick pulled Dorian’s shirt over his head and then worked to get the tape off. Dorian could tell the man was trying to be gentle. He rolled his eyes, reached up, and yanked.
A strange noise fell from his mouth as his eyes watered. “I shouldn’t have done that,” the words were strained as Dorian fought the urge to scream.
Rick twisted his lips, giving Dorian a peeved stare. “Why do you think I was trying to go slow? I used a lot of tape.”
Dorian panted, trying to get past the needle-sharp pain shooting through his shoulder. Tears actually slid down his eyes as he sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“Better?” Rick asked, eyeing Dorian cautiously.
“No.” The word came out in a squeak. Maybe if he sat real still the pain would ease.
“Let me see.” When Rick touched his shoulder, Dorian let out a high-pitched, almost gurgling sound.
Rick’s hand flew up. “Okay, I’m not touching you,” he said quickly. “Just breathe through it, nice and slow.”
Dorian gave a quick nod and winced at the sharper pain.
“Just hold still. Don’t move.”
Dorian let out quick bursts of air, sucking them back in just as quickly. He was getting light-headed, but the pain was slowly easing.
“I’m not sure if you are riding the pain out or giving birth,” Rick said. He grabbed the small bag with medical supplies, fished through it, and came away with the pain pills. “Take one.”
Dorian opened his mouth, trying his best not to move. Rick hurried into the bathroom and came back with a glass of water, tipping it slowly at Dorian’s lips.
“Next time let me do it my way.”
He gave a small growl, but didn’t move. Dorian was terrified that if he moved, the pain that was receding would intensify.
“Once you are knocked out, I’ll clean you up.”
Dorian’s thumb flicked up, but he still didn’t move. Maybe if he wasn’t so tense, the pain would go away a lot faster, but Dorian’s muscles were locked into place.
“Easy, hon.” Rick ran the back of his knuckles down Dorian’s cheek. “Try and relax. I know it’s hard because you stupidly ripped the bandage off, but ole Rick will make sure you are well taken care of.”
Dorian let his eyebrows drop as he glared at the man. Rick was having a little too much fun with this. It served him right for doing something that careless, but he was going to pay the man back.
“Shut up,” he gritted between clenched teeth.
“Talking trash that you can’t back up,” he teased. “By the way, you never live down doing something stupid around me.”
Dorian groaned. The man wasn’t going to make this easy.
“But I’ll leave you alone while you are in this much pain.”
His eyes began to slump, his head fogging.
“That’s it, gatito. Go to sleep.”
Dorian could feel Rick lowering him to the bed. His eyes were shut, and his heart was no longer racing out of control. Things began to get fuddled in his mind, but he heard Rick’s words before he passed out completely.
“I’ll protect you with my life, mate.”
Once Rick had Dorian cleaned up and tucked in, he went downstairs. He found Ross at the stove. “Something smells good.”
“Ain’t nothing,” Ross replied. “Just some fried sausage and potatoes. You fellas seem pretty hungry.”
“Fella,” Rick corrected. “Dorian is passed out.”
Rick was surprised when Ross turned a bright shade of red. What in the hell had the man so embarrassed?
“Ain’t none of my business what you two are doing up there. I just wanted to feed you before the others arrived.”
Rick laughed. He could see where Ross’s mind was. “He took pain pills for his shoulder, nothing more.” He wasn’t sure why he was explaining himself, but he wanted to put Ross at ease. The man had helped them out, and while watching him turn seven shades of red was entertaining, Rick felt bad for the man.
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me. Like I said, ain’t none of my business.” Ross plated the sausages and then scooped some potatoes onto one plate, handing it off to Rick.
Rick sat at the table. He hadn’t realized how famished he was until he started eating and then shoveling the food into his mouth.
“Slow down before you choke.”
Rick slowed, but not by much. Ross was one hell of a cook. He noticed the human watching him with too much interest. “What?”
“I’m trying to figure out how a man who looks so damn normal can change into an animal.”
The bells in Rick’s head went off. He set his fork down and eased his chair back. “Just let me get Dorian out of here safely, Ross. You don’t want to hurt him. He’s innocent in all of this.”